Accelerator for gas engines



March 16,1926. 1,577,196

W. W. SCHNELLE ACCELERATOR FOR GAS ENGINES Filed July 28. 1924 l v I. i

M12? kmsmmm.

Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

UNITED stares WILLIAM W. SGHNELLE, OF 'CHILLICOTHE, MISSOURI;

noonnnnn'ron non ens ENGINES.

Application filed July 28, 1924. Serial No 728,668.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known, that 1, WILLIAM W. SCHNELLE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chillicothe, in the county of Livingston, StateofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAccelerators for Gas Engines; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automobileengine devices, and particularly to control devices therefor.

One object is to provide a simple and cheap device by means of which theflow of gas can be regulated by the foot of the driver. This isespecially adapted for certain types of automobiles which do not havefoot con trols.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is adaptedto permit the control of the gas by the ordinary hand device, or by thefoot device, each being arranged to operate without interfering with theoperation of the other.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which can beeasily and quick- 30 1y applied to certain types of automobiles withoutmodifications thereto.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying as drawing.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion ofan automobile showing the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same. Figure 3 is a verticaltransverse sectional view on the line 33,v of Figure 2.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 represents thesteering column of an automobile, which has the collar 11 thereonprovided with the opposite lateral apertured arms 12 and 13 whichrotatably support the spark and gas rods 14 and 15, respectively. On thegas rod 15 there is 59 fixed a depending arm 16 which has an eye 17 inits lower end. In the footboard 22, of-

the automobile, there is mounted an apertured plate 23, which registerswith an opening 2A in the footboard, and through the openings of thefootboard and plate a rock shaft 25 is disposed, the end which projectsrearwardly of the footboard being turned downwardly, and provided with acushion sleeve 26, for engagement by the foot of the driver. The forwardend portion of the rock shaft 25 is turned downwardly as at 27 and thenupwardly as at 27, whereby to form the eye 28. The free end of theportion 27 is then passed through the eye 17 and directed upwardly. Theangularly turned end 18 of the link 19 is engaged through this eye 28,this link being connected at its other end to the arm of the throttle,not shown, and secured in place by the coil spring 29. Engaged throughan opening 30, in the link 19, is one end of said coil spring 29, saidspring having its other end secured to a bolt or otherv suitable portionof the engine frame, whereby to exert apulling action on the shaft 25-t0rock same into position to hold the throttle'in closed position. 7 I

The sleeve carrying end of the rock shaft 25 is disposed in suchrelation to the upper face of the footboard of the automobile, that thedriver can engage the said end with the side of his foot, while his footrests comfortably on the fo'otboard, thereby obviating any lifting ofthe foot to'operate the accelerator. Upon rocking the shaft 25 theturned forward end thereof pulls on the link 19, causing the throttle tobe opened to a degree commensurate with the degree of rocking movementof said shaft. Upon removing the foot from the sleeved end of the rockshaft, the spring 31 will restore the shaft to its normal position, andclose the throttle. When the throttle is to be operated by hand, theusual gas lever, on the upper end of the rod 15, but not shown in thedrawing, is swung to rock the said shaft 15, whereupon the arm 16 willswing carrying with it the forward end of the rock shaft 25, and theattached end of the link 19, with the result that the throttle isopened.

It will be particularly noted that the operation of the rock shaft, toopen or close the throttle, does not cause any movement of the arm 16,whereby the hand control of the throttle is unaffected by the footcontrol. Also, when the hand control is operated, the rock shaft ismoved bodily, with the arm 16, and is not rocked, thus permitting eitherhand or foot control of the throttle without interference of the one bythe other.

The application of this device to certain types of automobiles isaccomplished ithout modifications to the automobile.

\Vhat is claimed is:

5 The combination with the gas rod having the lateral arm, and thethrottle valve link of an automobile engine, of a bracket looselycarried by the gas rod, a rock rod havin a foot-piece on one end andhaving 10 its 0t ler end rotatable in said lateral arm,

said rock rod having an angularly extending arm operatively connectedWith said throttle valve link, and an extension on the rock rodextending in a direction diametri- Cally opposite to the angular arm andarranged to rest against the said gas rod whereby to limit rockingmovement of the rock rod in one direction.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

WVILLIAM W, SCI-INELLE.

